Colin Hopper

University College London | UCL

Background The primary aim of this prospective study is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of OCT to map real tumor margins and to monitor skin changes that occurred post- PDT. Moreover, to optimize PDT efficacy based on the relationship between measured OCT features and treatment outcome. Material and Methods A series of 12 patients with ov...

A 77-year-old Caucasian male was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer of the right ear. The patient elected to take part in the first-in-man phase I TPCS2a based bleomycin photochemical internalization (PCI). On Day 0, The patient received the photosensitiser [Amphinex (TPCS2a)], by slow intravenous injection. Four days later, surface illumination b...

Background Skin cancer continues to be the most common cancer in the Caucasian population. Over the past two decades, researchers around the world started assessing the possibility of diagnosing tissue pathologies by using optical systems. In this study, we aimed to use in vivo optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology to describe the morpholog...

Bone grafting for reconstruction of severe alveolar atrophy in the maxilla has been the method of choice for many years. Onlay grafting is mainly used to repair defects in the alveolar process, or to increase the width of a thin alveolar process. Grafting is performed either by means of sinus lifting procedures, or local augmentation for single tee...

Photochemical internalisation (PCI) is a unique intervention which involves the release of endocytosed macromolecules into the cytoplasmic matrix. PCI is based on the use of photosensitizers placed in endocytic vesicles that, following light activation, lead to rupture of the endocytic vesicles and the release of the macromolecules into the cytopla...

Photochemical internalisation (PCI) depends on the delivery of sub‐lethal photodynamic reaction to facilitate the work of a chemotherapeutic agent. We discuss our experience in managing a patient with extensive squamous cell carcinoma of the right face and scalp under the TPCS2a‐based bleomycin PCI treatment protocol. In this case, an 84‐year‐old C...

Background: The assessment of cutaneous cancer margins intra-operatively or in the immediate postoperative phase can guide the operator into achieving clearer margins. Achieving a clear (tumour-free) margins following surgery is an essential factor that can reduce morbidity and disfigurement. The aim of present study was to determine the accuracy...

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a relatively new method of treating skin cancers. This prospective study highlights the use of PDT in the management of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and T1N0 cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) involving the periorbital area. Materials and methods: Surface illumination PDT was offered under local...

Background: In this immediate ex vivo study, we aimed to identify the structures of normal and pathological facial skin using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and compared them to the gold standard histopathology. Material and methods: A total of 53 patients, with 57 suspicious facial lesions, participated in this study. A set of variables hav...

INTRODUCTION: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a relatively new method of treating various pathologies. In this retrospective study with prospective intent, a total of 22 patients with T1/T2 N0 cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were treated with intravenous mTHPC (meta-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin) and surface illumination PDT. Comparisons with the...

Background: OCT is a non-invasive imaging technique that enables the measurement of epithelial thickness and architectural changes, which can help in the diagnosis of pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions. The purpose of the study was to assess whether epithelial tissue thickness improves optical coherence tomography's ability in detecting oral canc...

Background Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been shown to reliably identify skin changes with the combined advantage of resolution and penetration depth. The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of OCT in diagnosing various skin pathologies, using pre-set diagnostic criteria, by two reviewers blinded to the actual diagnosis. Mat...

Background HPV-16–positive HNSCC and HPV-16–negative HNSCC have different clinical factors, representing distinct forms of cancers. The study aimed to identify patient-specific factors for HPV-16-positive HNSCC based on baseline clinical data. Method Factors associated with HPV-16-positive HNSCC were identified using the data from 210 patients dia...

Aim: In this review, we look at the factor of the surgical experience and surgical workload in a variety of surgical disciplines and its effect on the intraoperative and postoperative complications rate. Materials and methods: An extensive systematic electronic search was carried out on the relevant databases. Two independent reviewers were enga...

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a relatively new method of treating various kinds of pathologies. In this retrospective study, a total of 148 patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) were treated with surface illumination methyl aminolevulinate - photodynamic therapy (MAL-PDT) or meta-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (mTHPC-PDT). Comparisons...

Background: Photochemical internalisation, a novel minimally invasive treatment, has shown promising preclinical results in enhancing and site-directing the effect of anticancer drugs by illumination, which initiates localised chemotherapy release. We assessed the safety and tolerability of a newly developed photosensitiser, disulfonated tetraphen...

The use of photodynamic therapy has developed to include the management of advanced head and neck malignancies as well as providing a palliative option. This minimally invasive technology was able to cause significant reduction in tumour size and control growth leading to improvement in patient’s quality of life (i.e. breathing, swallowing and spea...

The management of head and neck disease using photodynamic therapy is currently being employed by few centres around the world. The last few years showed an increase in the number of clinicians with interest in this intervention as well as patients seeking this option, especially after failing some or all the conventional therapies (i.e. surgery, r...

The use of optical technology in guiding surgical intervention is at its earliest stages at the moment. The potential is to facilitate tumour-specific targeting which can potentially result in margin-free tumour and improved survival. In a case study, we investigated the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in lesion (squamous cell carcinoma)...

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive intervention used in the management of tissue disorders. In this retrospective study, a total of 62 patients with actinic keratosis (AKs) were treated with surface illumination PDT. Comparisons with the clinical features, rate of recurrence as well as malignant transformation and ove...

Incomplete surgical removal of cancer is believed to be the main cause of local recurrence and high mortality. This study assessed the use of optical technology (namely optical coherence tomography [OCT]) in examining oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) resection margins to assess if this modality could guide the surgeon during surgical resections....

Burkitt-like lymphoma, also known as (B-Cell lymphoma, Unclassifiable) is a rare extra-nodal B-cell lymphoma with features intermediate between Burkitt's lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A 73-year-old Caucasian female presented to our Emergency Department with orbital pain, deterioration of vision, nausea and vomiting. General examinatio...

Temporomandibular joint cysts are an infrequently encountered pathology, and must be considered within the differential diagnoses for a mass in the TMJ region. There are two distinct cysts that have been reported in this region – the ganglionic cyst and the synovial cyst. These lesions have been most commonly found in the knee, elbow or finger. Of...

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment modality which has great clinical implications, especially in head and neck oncology. Post-operative swelling is a well-documented consequence of PDT. It is paramount the airway remains patent for these patients. A tracheostomy remains the gold standard treatment modality f...

Background: mTHPC-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used for treatment of early head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This study is a retrospective comparison of PDT with transoral surgery in the treatment of early primary squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity/oropharynx. Methods: PDT data were retrieved from four study databases; sur...

It is only recently that maxillofacial surgery ceased to be just a dental specialty and now requires formal surgical/medical training for specialist registration. It remains, however, founded in dentistry requiring many of the skills and attributes learned in general dental or oral surgical practice. Medical specialists as a part of emergency treat...

Introduction: Malfunction of microvascular anastomoses is the main reason for free-flap failures. The aim of this investigation was to prove the feasibility of endoscopic free-flap perfusion measurements in the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) using indocyanine green (ICG). Methods: Twenty-five patients undergoing free-flap reconstruction of the...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an evolving optical technology that is capable of delivering real-time, high-resolution signatures of tissue. The purpose of this immediate ex vivo prospective clinical study was: (1) to assess the sensitivity and specificity of OCT on biopsy material in identifying potentially malignant and malignant oral lesi...

In a previous publication we showed that mTHPC-PDT (Foscan®-PDT) is an effective treatment of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in "difficult to treat" locations and presented optimized treatment parameters to reduce costs and side effects. Now we present long-term results of the same study population. Following PDT of a total of 460 BCCs in 117 subject...

As a result of major ablative surgery, head and neck oncology patients can be left with significant defects in the orofacial region. The resultant defect raises the need for advanced reconstruction techniques. The reconstruction in this region is aimed at restoring function and facial contour. The use of vascularised free flaps has revolutionised t...

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive optical technology using near-infrared light to produce cross-sectional tissue images with lateral resolution. The overall aims of this study was to generate a bank of normative and pathological OCT data of the oral tissues to allow identification of cellular structures of normal and pathological...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) - the fourth modality - has been successfully used in the management of early and advanced pathologies of the head and neck. We studied the effect of this modality on a giant solitary neurofibroma of the neck.A 70-year-old Caucasian female presented with left neck pain and disfigurement associated with slight shortness of...

Elastic scattering spectroscopy (ESS) has been shown to be accurate in the identification of abnormalities of soft tissue. These include ischemia and inflammation, pre-cancer and cancer. The aim of this study was to compare findings of ESS with gold standard histopathology in patients with various skin lesions. Seventy-three patients with clinicall...

We report on the application of photodynamic therapy in the management of recurrent advanced carcinoma of the nasopharynx. A selected cohort of 7 patients, only suitable for palliative therapy, was offered this modality to assess the palliative role of PDT. All 7 patients had at least 2 previous recurrences, which were managed with surgery and chem...

Perioperative blood transfusion is associated with reduced prognosis in a number of solid malignancies. We investigate its role in a head & neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) cell lines. Growth of these cell lines was analogous to endothelial growth. Direct exposure to transfusion products exaggerated this effect. It was logical therefore to assess...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally-invasive surgical tool successfully targeting premalignant and malignant disorders in the head and neck, gastrointestinal tract, lungs and skin with greatly reduced morbidity and disfigurement. The technique is simple, can commonly be carried out in outpatient clinics, and is highly acceptable to patients....

The CO2 laser was invented in 1963 by Kumar Patel. Since the early 1970s, CO2 laser has proved to be an effective method of treatment for patients with several types of oral lesions, including early squamous cell carcinoma. Laser surgery of oral premalignant disorders is an effective tool in a complete management strategy which includes careful cli...

Several factors have been identified to affect morbidity and mortality in oral cancer patients. The time taken to process a resected cancer specimen in a patient presenting with primary or recurrent disease can be of interest as delay can affect earlier interventions post-surgery. We looked at this variable in a group of 168 consecutive oral cancer...

The use of tobacco is known to increase the incidence of developing oral cancer by 6 times, while the additive effect of drinking alcohol further increases the risk leading to higher rate of morbidity and mortality. In this short communication, we prospectively assessed the effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking in oral cancer patients on t...

Accurate clinical staging of oral squamous cell cancer can be quite difficult to achieve especially if nodal involvement is identified. Radiologically-assisted clinical staging is more accurate and informs the clinician of loco-regional and distant metastasis. In this study, we compared clinical TNM (cTNM) staging (not including ultrasonography) to...

We report on the application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the management of Kimura disease. A 58-year-old Asian male was offered this modality to assess the possibility to control disease progression. The patient was managed with surgery and the disease recurred and caused facial disfigurement. PDT was offered after careful discussion at UCLH m...

Controlling tumour margins in head and neck surgery is of the utmost importance in preventing loco-regional spread and distant metastasis, which will ultimately lead to a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality. We comment on the surgical margins in photodynamic therapy and photochemical internalization.

We previously reported on the outcome of 21 patients with stage IV advanced and/or recurrent tongue base carcinoma subjected to mTHPC-PDT. We continue to develop on the previous work by treating more patients with this unforgiving disease. PDT has shown to be a very successful minimally-invasive surgical tool in managing this pathology. Tumour-asso...

Photodynamic therapy, the fourth oncological interventional modality has proved its success in the management of variety of pathologies involving the human body. Our aim in this prospective clinical study was to continue evaluating the outcome following ultrasound-guided interstitial PDT of pathologies involving the human body. Patients' reports on...

While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical techniques of tissue interrogation. Their accuracy, exp...

While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical techniques of tissue interrogation. Their accuracy, exp...

While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical techniques of tissue interrogation. Their accuracy, exp...

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world. The incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) continues to be high, if not increasing. This prospective study assessed the oncological outcomes following transoral CO(2) laser resection of T1/T2 N0 OSCC. Patients' 3-year disease-specific survival and disease-free survival were evaluat...

This new prospective clinical study assessed the oncological outcomes following surface illumination mTHPC-photodynamic therapy of T1/T2 N0 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Thirty-eight patients participated in this study. Their mean age at the first diagnosis of OSCC was 58.0 years. Common clinical presentation was an ulcer mainly ide...

Photodynamic therapy is a proven therapeutic modality in the management of variety of pathologies involving the human body. Our aim in this clinical study is to prospectively evaluate the outcome following interstitial photodynamic therapy for patients with vascular anomalies. Patients' reports on quality of life with clinical and radiological eval...

The use of the CO(2) laser in the management of oral dysplastic lesions has become a more common practice. Very few studies have evaluated recurrence, residual disease malignant transformation, and overall outcome in patients undergoing such a procedure. In this prospective study, a total of 123 oral dysplastic lesions from 77 consecutive patients...

Worldwide, approximately 405 000 cases of oral cancer (OSCC) are diagnosed each year, with a rising incidence in many countries. Despite advances in surgery and radiotherapy, which remain the standard treatment options, the mortality rate has remained largely unchanged for decades, with a 5-year survival rate of around 50%. OSCC is a heterogeneous...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been identified as a successful therapy for skin cancer. This case study investigates the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in lesion (squamous cell carcinoma) mapping, assisting the surgeon to correctly deliver PDT and monitor the outcome. Optical coherence tomographic images were acquired pre-treatment to a...

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a malignant neoplasm arising from the salivary glands. It accounts for 10-15% of all salivary gland neoplasms, representing 1-2% of malignant neoplasms of the head and neck. It is characterized by slow growth, diffuse invasion and potential to produce distant metastases, mainly to the lungs and bone. We present a case of...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive surgical intervention used in the management of tissue disorders. It can be applied before, or after, any of the conventional modalities, without compromising these treatments or being compromised itself. In this prospective study, a total of 147 consecutive patients with oral potentially malignant...